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STAMFORD HISTORICAL 
SKETCHES 

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Stamford's War Memorial, 
St. John's Park. 



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STAMFORD 
HISTORICAL 
SKETCHES 

BY 

ALFRED GRANT WALTON 

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Copyright, 1922 
By Alfred Grant Walton 



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CUNNINGHAM PRESS 
STAMFORD, CONN. 

Oei 30 1922 



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PREFACE 



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/^ Stamford is one of the oldest towns /r 

\jp in the commonwealth of Connecticut. i^f 

(^1 Twenty-one years after the Pilgrims ti 

plied the dangerous seas to establish ^ 



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y" homes in America, settlers came to th 

C.\| place and established a new community. ^ 

V/ Associated with the many decades of .f/ 

Stamford's development are historic |^ 

events, quaint legends and unusual inci- ^^^ 

dents, which furnish a charming and pic- ^ 

turesque background for the Stamford ojjo 

; of today. Interesting histories of the ih 

)' town have been written, which are of ^ 

permanent value to the community, but & 

some do not find time to read them, and D) 

S^ for others they are not easily accessible. ^^ 

The purpose of this little booklet is not 

p^ to give a complete historical record, but K 

^ to furnish the reader with brief sketches ^ 

dealing with some of the outstanding ^)) 

events and traditions associated with the fo 

town. By means of this simple compen- ^ 

dium, one should be able to glimpse, ^ 

without too much effort, something of ((/) 

the life of Stamford in the Ions aeo. ^r 



y/fj The writer has used freely all avail- ^^' 

J" able sources of information and grate- 






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y^ fully acknowledges the assistance of 
|m many friends who have helped to make 
oOj this booklet possible. 
^ If these sketches make the residents of 

|p Stamford more conscious of their herit- 
ri]j age from the past, and more interested 
in their community today, or if they re- 
veal to the stranger the charm of this old 
New England town, they will have ac- 
complished their purpose. 

A. G. W. 



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CONTENTS 

The Legend of Laddin Rock _ _ _ 9 
The Purchase of Stamford from the 
Indians ________ 13 

How Stamford was Named _ _ _ _ ig 

The First Meeting House _ _ _ _ 22 

The Second Meeting House — Decided by 
Casting a Lot _______ 26 

The Old Webb Tavern and the Stamford 
Tea Party ________ 30 

Major Tallmadge and His Exploits at 
Shippan _________ 34 

General David Waterbury _ _ _ _ 38 

Abraham Davenport and the Dark Day, 
May 19th, 1780 _______ 42 

A British Invasion of Stamford and an 
Attack on the Church at Middlesex 
(Darien) ________ 45- 

The Desecration of Stamford's Oldest 
Burial Ground _______ 49 

Going to Church in Stamford One Hun- 
dred Years Ago ______ 53 

The Visit of Lafayette to Stamford _ _ 58 
An Adventure in Education at Shippan — 
1828 _________ 61 

Stamford's Oldest Business Institution _ 64 
The Miller Excitement _____ 68 

The Coming of the Railroad to Stam- 
ford __________ 72 

Central Park and How It Was Saved for 
the People ________ 7^ 

The Stamford Churches _____ 78 

Maritime Life of Stamford _ _ _ _ 8^ 

History of the Seal of Stamford _ _ _ 88 
Stamford's Record in War _ _ _ _ 90 

Interesting Dates in Stamford's History _ 96 



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|p The Legend of Laddin's Rock 

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A T[€L I^DEN away in a wooded plot of ^^ 

^H unusual beauty, immediately west- ^ 

J ward of Stamford, is a rough prom- (^ 

ontory known as Laddin's Rock. An air <^ 

of subtle charm pervades the place and \^ 

bespeaks the long ago when the wood- ^° 

land quiet was broken only by the song p) 

of birds, the rustling noises of the forest ^ 

denizens, or the occasional sound of the x| 

settler's ax as he felled the timber for p4 
his primitive home. Here stand age-old 

x| oaks that sway with stately dignity; ^| 

% clear, beautiful waters reflect the sky <(^ 

.^ above; mosses and lichens grow riotous- |\) 

^o ly over the broken rocks, while wild- § 

(^ flowers peek mischievously above the ^ 

^'> grass. With this enchanted spot, still ^> 

|w suggestive of the virginal beauty of the |w 

^ primeval wood, there is associated the ^ 

p° oldest legend of Stamford's environs. 3 

Shortly after Peter Minuit and his K 

^ company of Dutch settlers bought Man- ^v. 

KQ hattan from the Indians, another group Xq 

ego of Dutchmen made their way along the ego 

(^^ waters of the Sound and built a settle- ^\ 

ment not far from the shore, in a seques- ^> 

tered spot among the adjacent hills. One W 

of these adventurers was a man named V 



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Cornelius Laddin, who came to this 
lonely place with his wife and daughter. 
The traders carried on extensive batter- 
ings with the Indians, giving knives, 
hatchets, trinkets and rum in exchange 
for fine peltries. Sometimes the white 
men took advantage of their savage 
neighbors, driving hard bargains and 
often cheating them. One day a band of 
Indians, incensed by the greediness of 
the invaders, determined to exterminate 
the little colony in which Laddin lived. 
Was this the massacre of 1643 which in- 
volved the settlement west of Stamford, 
in which fifteen were killed and others 
driven from their homes'? It is uncer- 
tain, but at any rate, the attack came. 
Laddin was working in the field, when, 
suddenly, as he lifted his eyes, he saw 
some of the cabins in flames. Instinc- 
tively he thought of his wife and daugh- 
ter and ran home to protect them. His 
horse was tethered at the rear of the cot- 
tage. Rushing in, he hastily barred the 
windows and doors, and seizing his old 
flintlock, prepared for action. He did 
not have to wait long. Indian after In- 
dian approached his cabin, bearing flam- 
ing torches, but from his position of van- 
tage he shot them down. Maddened by 



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the resistance, they decided on collective 
effort. A group seized a log and ad- 
vanced together, determined to batter 
down the door. The situation was be- 
coming precarious. Laddin's ammuni- 
tion was giving out and he could not 
resist much longer. What was to be 
done? "Fly, husband, fly," cried his 
wife frantically, "they will surely re- 
spect our sex. I will open the door in the 
rear, and you can ride away on the horse. 
Perhaps you can bring assistance." The 
grim settler hesitated for a moment, en- 
deavoring to decide his course, but 
spurred on by his wife, he finally un- 
barred the door and plunged into the 
open. That very moment the front door 
gave way, and the Indians rushed in. 
Down crashed the tomahawks with sick- 
ening thud, and the two women lay si- 
lent on the floor. Laddin glimpsed the 
gruesome sight for one brief moment, 
then turned in flight. But he was not to 
get away, for the savages followed in 
hot pursuit. Seeing that escape was im- 
possible, he turned his horse toward the 
top of the rocky cliff. The shouts of the 
enemy spurred on his affrighted animal 
till the edge of the ledge was reached. 
Then there was a moment's hesitation. 






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an ominous silence, a resounding crash, 
and horse and rider dashed to their death 

tgo on the rocks below. Laddin had pre- <go 

(^ ferred to take his own life and not allow (^ 

^> it to be taken by the savages. ^% 

fc And this is the legend of Laddin' s (W 

W Rock. ^^^ 



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The Purchase of Stamford From 

rO> THE Indians 

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'^^ ^*rHE tract of land which now com- "ff 

C^) t|L prises Stamford belonged original- v^j 

^u ly to the remnants of four distinct c/u 

K tribes. These natives were savages of a w 

<go low type, and did not possess, the virility ego 

A^ of the stronger tribes on the New Eng- p\ 

land coast. Here they roamed the hills i^ 

and valleys at their pleasure, hunted the C^jj 

wild turkey and the deer, and at night j^ 

sat by the fire and exchanged tales of the ^ 

hunt and the chase. In 1640, Captain >'^ 
Nathaniel Turner, a representative of 

the New Haven colony, which had been |^) 

founded two years before by the Rev. / 

AX John Davenport and others, negotiated \ 

g1 with the representatives of these tribes 

for the purchase of their land. An agree- ItO 

ment was made between them to which W 

representatives of both parties sub- '^ 
scribed. 

The transaction read as follows: 

"Bought of Ponus, sagamore of To- 

A quams, and of Wascussue, sagamore of <& 

^ Shippan, by mee, Nathaniel Turner, of /^ 

qjI Quenepiocke, all the ground that belongs 

Jj!^^ to both the above said sagamores except /.: o 

^ a piece of ground which the above said 



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a?o. sagamore of Toquams reserved for him Z^ 

|m and the rest of said Indians to plant on — K 
oO, all of which grounds being expressed by og> 

-R meadows, upland, grass, with the rivers p\ 

SfrJ and trees ; and in consideration hereof, I, \p 

^J\ the said Nathaniel Turner, amm to give S\ 

HJl and bring, or send to the above said sag- Hi 

^ amores, within the space of one month, °w 

v| twelve coats, twelve howes, twelve Qj 

^ hatchets, twelve glasses, twelve knives, y/ 

|o four kettles, four fathom of white wam- |^ 

oO, pum; all of which lands hothe we, the 

^ said sagamores, do promise faithfully to 

perform, both for ourselves, heirs, exec- 
utors or assigns, and hereunto we have 
sett our marks in the presence of many 
of the said Indians, they fully consent- 
ing thereto." 

The document was signed by William 
Wilkes and James , as wit- 
nesses for Captain Turner, and by 
Owenoke, sagamore, Ponus' son, and M 
another sagamore, whose name is not c^ 
fo legible, as witnesses for the Indians. The fe 
^ marks used by the Indians are suggestive ^ 
°c/ of terror and power. The mark of Ponus xj" 
U) is like a streak of lightning, as is also 
^ the mark of his son ; that of Wascussee 
0J is a bow and arrow, and the mark of the 
A fourth represents a war club. 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES I5 

The tract of land involved in this 
purchase extended from Rowayton on 
the east to Mianus on the west, and 
reached inland a distance of about six- 
teen miles. It included the present towns 
of Stamford and Darien, some parts of 
New Canaan and Greenwich, and the 
southern part of Pound Ridge. The por- 
tion reserved for Ponus and his Indians 
to plant on was the beautiful headland 
now known as Wallack's Point. 

Other deeds were given at a later date 
which explained and confirmed the origi- 
nal one. The Indians claimed that they 
did not fully understand the first agree- 
ment, and that "the inhabitants en- 
croached upon their rights." They com- 
plained "that they did not expect the 
purchasers were to settle houses on the 
land," and also objected strenuously to 
the Englishmen's hogs, which destroyed 
their corn. 

The consideration paid to the Indians 
was valued at thirty-three pounds, or 
approximately one hundred and fifty 
dollars. The present value of this real 
estate would reach fully two hundred 
and fifty millions of dollars. 

When the majority of dissatisfied 
church members in Wethersfield decided 



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16 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

to emigrate from that place with the 
minority of the settlers and form a new 
settlement, their agents obtained from 
the New Haven colony the right to all 
the land purchased by Captain Turner 
from the Indians. The following condi- 
tions were imposed: 

(a) The Wethersfield men were to 
give the price paid to the Indians for the 
land. 

(b) A fifth part of the land was to be 
reserved, to be disposed of by the court 
to such settlers as they saw ht. 

(c) The settlers were to join the New 
Haven colony in the form of govern- 
ment they adopted. 

Twenty Wethersfield men signed an 
agreement to commence a settlement in 
the new location before May 16th, 1641, 
and agreed to bring the rest of their 
families by the last of November of the 
same year. In accordance with that 
agreement the settlement was founded, 
twenty-eight men coming in the spring 
and others coming later. By the end of 
1641, thirty or forty families were estab- 
lished here. 



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The names of the original hind owners 
ot Stamford are as follows: 

Math. Mitchell 
Thurston Rainer 
Richard Denton 
Andrew Ward 
Robert Coe 
P.ichard Gildersleve 
Richard Law 
John Reynolds 
John Whitmore 
Robert Bates 
Jelfry Ferris 
Richard Crabb 
Samuel Sherman 
Daniel Finch 
Jonas Wood, H. 
John Northend 
Jeremy J agger 
Edmond Wood 
Jonas Wood, O. 
Samuel Clark 
Francis Bell 
Thomas Morehouse 
Jeremiah Wood 
Thomas Weeks 



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John Seaman 
Robert Fisher 
y, Joseph Jessup 
Henry Smith 
Vincent Simkins 

Joseph Jessup was not in the first 
group of twenty-eight men who arrived 
here in the spring of 1641, but he came 
shortly afterwards, and should be in- 
cluded among the first settlers. 

Many of the names included in this 
list are still to be found in Stamford. 



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How Stamford Was Named 



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TAMFORD was originally called 
Rippowam, and the small stream 
which flows near the center of the 
town is still given that name. Rippo- 
wam is an Indian word, but it is impos- 
sible to discover its origin or meaning. 
It probably conveyed an idea associated 
with this particular location, and was 
coined definitely for that purpose. This 
practice was quite common among the 
Indians. The western border of the ori- 
ginal purchase was at Mianus, and that 
place was named after Chief Myanos, 
who lived there. Noroton, which was a 
part of Stamford until 1820, derived its 
name from the Indian word "Noro-tan," 
meaning North Star. 

It is generally conceded that Stam- 
ford received its name through some as- 
sociation with one of the old Stamfords 
in England. There are three Stamfords 
in the mother-land, Stamford Bridge in 
Yorkshire, Stamford of Worcestershire, 
and Stamford of Lincolnshire. It is im- 
possible to determine with absolute cer- 
tainty with which of these places Stam- 
ford is to be associated, although it 
seems very likely that it is the quaint old 



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20 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

town in Lincolnshire. It was from that 
section of England that Cromwell re- 
cruited a large number of his followers, 
to which over eighty per cent of the ori- 
ginal settlers of New England could 
trace their ancestry, and which gave 
more English names to places in Amer- 
ica than all other sections of the mother- 
land combined. 

There is an old legend of questionable 
character to the effect that the people of 
the early settlement here decided upon 
a novel method to determine a name for 
their new habitation. There was a di- 
vision among them whether the place 
should be called Ayrshire or Stamford. 
Some of the sporting element in the com- 
munity secured two fighting cocks, and 
bestowed the debated names upon them. 
A cock-pit was built in front of the meet- 
ing house and a battle was fought to the 
finish. Stamford was victorious and the 
debated subject was settled. 

The original Stamford in England is 
located on the Welland River, about 
ninety miles from London. In ancient 
times it was called Stanford from the 
Anglo-Saxon words "stan," meaning 
stone, and "ford." Some of the first 
records of the present Stamford give the 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 21 S 

name as Stanford. The original Latin ^u 

name was "Durobrevia," which means (fj 

a hard, shelfy, crossing phice or ford. --og, 

During the reign of Charles II, this old //^ 

place suffered persecution because of J!(p 

Puritan principles, and among the num- C^.| 

ber who fled to America were doubtless \l' 

some who finally settled in this ancient y 

colony on the banks of the Rippowam. C^j 

At the general court of New Haven ,//j° 

which met in the spring of 1642, the |^ 

change of nairx from Rippowam to o^ 

Stamford was confirmed. /^\\ 




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Stamford's First Meeting House 



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NE of the first tasks to which the 
settlers gave themselves was the 
building of a meeting house. They 
considered it quite as important to pro- 
vide a house of worship as to build 
homes for themselves. The simple struc- 
ture, which they erected almost imme- 
diately after their arrival, was located 
on a knoll of ground near the steps of 
the present Town Hall. Palisades ex- 
tended around the four sides of the 
building to furnish protection against 
the attacks of the hostile Indians. Dur- 
the services, a sentry kept watch on 



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the outside. 



The meeting house itself 
was square and low. Its posts were 
twelve feet in height, and its roof was 
pointed, the four sides meeting about 
thirty feet above the ground. There was 
only one entrance leading to the barren 
interior, which consisted of a single 
room. Hard, rough benches extended on 
three sides, facing the minister's desk. 
The windows were plain and a movable 
screen was shifted about to protect the 
worshippers from the burning rays, 
which poured in upon them. The build- 
and in the winter 



ing was not heated, 



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the members of the congregation had to 
use hand or foot stoves to keep them- 
selves warm. Every Sunday, when the 
hour for service had arrived, a drummer 
would beat the call to worship, and, at 
the sound of this signal, the sturdy pio- 
neers would leave their primitive homes 
along paths which led directly to the 
church. Every person in the settlement 
was required to attend. 

There is an ancient tradition con- 
nected with this first meeting house, 
which is considered authentic, and which 
is particularly significant. When the 
building had advanced sufficiently, it 
was necessary for some one to mount to 
the top of the roof and insert the key pin 
in the heavy beams holding the roof to- 
gether. The son of a prominent member 
of the colony volunteered for the task. 
He climbed nimbly to the pinnacle, and 
then became frightened. "Which of the 
holes shall I put the pin in'?" he called 
to his father, with trembling voice. He 
had hardly spoken the words when he 
turned, toppled over, and fell headlong 
to his death. Thus did a little child con- 
secrate, with his life, that simple build- 
ing, which expressed and symbolized the 
community's highest ideal. 



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^ 24 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



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d-Gn The first pastor in this meeting house 

WM was the Rev. Richard Denton. He was 1^^ 

og> a gifted minister in Halifax, England, og> 

^ and was in the small group which emi- //^ 

\p grated from Wethersfield. He remained J(p 

d| with his people for three years, but, be- p^ 

Ki coming dissatisfied with the restriction Hi 

^ of the New Haven colony which gave ^ 

C^l) the right of suffrage only to church mem- ^| 

l^u bers, moved to Long Island, with one- J^ 

K third of the settlers, where many of (. ;) 

oO> them located in Hempstead. Cotton ,p^ 

/^ Mather gives a quaint description of iN\ 

ojl Mr. Denton, as follows: of 

fe "Our pious and learned Mr. Richard ?fo 

W Denton, a Yorkshire man, who, having ^ 

^ watered Halifax, in England, with his "cy 

fruitful ministry, was, by a tempest, U) 

then hurried into New England, where, <^\^ 

first at Wethersfield and then at Stam- 

ford, his doctrine dropped as the rain, ^ 

and his speech distilled as the dew, as ^ 

the small rain upon the tender herb and Cyl 

as a shower upon the grass. Though he fo 

were a little man, yet he had a great ^ 

^ soul; his well accomplished mind in his ^ 

P) lesser body was an Iliad in a nut-shell. 

%^ I think he was blind of an eye; never- <^ 

Q/jj theless, he was not the least among the rh 

fd] seers of our Israel; he saw a consider- ^ 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKKTCHKS 2^ 

able portion of those things which eye 
hath not seen. He was far from cloudy 
,Q> in his conceptions and principles of Di- 

" vinity; whereof he wrote a system, en- 

titled Soliliquia Sacra; so accurately 
considering the four-fold state of man, 
1st, in his created Purity; 2nd, con- 
tracted Deformity; 3d, restored Beauty; 
4th, celestial Glory, that judicious per- 
sons, who have seen it, very much la- 
ment the churches being so deprived of 
it. At length he got into heaven, beyond 
clouds, and so, beyond storms, waiting 
the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in 
the clouds of heaven, when he will have 
his reward anions the saints." 



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Stamford's Second Meeting House 
— Built by Casting a Lot 



^Tf HE second meeting house is unique 
%fl because of the unusual method fol- 
lowed in determining what kind of 
a building should be erected. The first 
crude structure, erected on the knoll in 
the center of the little settlement, had 
served for thirty years, and the sturdy 
pioneers found that a larger and more 
commodious building was necessary. A 
committee was appointed, consisting of 
Mr. Law, Goodman Holly, Goodman 
Webb, Goodman Ambler and Joshua 
Hoyt, to build a meeting house of stone, 
"and, if they cannot get a house built 
with stone, they have liberty to get it 
done with timber." They were in- 
structed to build it "with as much speed 
as they can with convenience." When 
the committee sought to carry out these 
orders a pronounced difference of opin- 
ion arose whether the building should be 
rectangular or square. Some wanted a 
structure thirty-five feet square, while 
others favored a larger building, forty- 
five feet in length and thirty-five feet 
in breadth. Being unable to reach an 
agreement, the devout pioneers deter- 

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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 2J 

mined to seek divine assistance. A copy 
of the town vote found in the ancient 
records is as follows : 

"April 4, 1671. At a town meeting, 
duly warned, per vote, it was agreed that 
the'final decision and difference respect- 
ing the form and figure of the new meet- 
ing house, is to be done by a solemn 
ordinance of God, by the casting of lots, 
and the reason of this way is, because the 
town cannot possibly decide it for want 
of a casting vote." 

Before the vote was taken, it was 
agreed that, in the event the decision 
should be for a square meeting house, 
the building would be "thirty and eight" 
feet square, instead of thirty-five feet, 
as originally planned. A later record 
reads: "The solemn ordinance being as 
above ordered the lotl carried it for a 
square meeting house." 

The new building was placed on the 
spot now known as Central Park, its 
front door being near the location of the 
present flagstaff. Its roof rose by two 
contracted steps, and was surmounted by 
a cupola, giving the whole a pyramidal 
appearance. From the cupola the drum 
was sounded to give signal in case of 
danger, and to summon the people to 



S° 



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28 



STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



worship or to town meetings. This build- 
ing Stood for a period of thirty-five (7)j 
^ years. ego 
^ A curious stipulation concerning the a^ 
iyj, method of seating the inhabitants in C^'J, 



church is brought out in the following %0 



<3» 



enactment pertaining thereto : 

0° "The town order that the inhabitants X^ 

{/) shall be seated in the meeting house by 

the following rules, viz., dignity, a{/(/e Jjy 

and estate in this present list of estate; C/J 

<Q, ^nd a committee shall be chosen to at- cOo 

A^ tend to it forthwith: the committee, a^ 
Q)ll Captain Jonathan Selleck, Lieut. Fra. 
fo Bell, Lieut. Jona'th Bell, Joseph Theale 
^ ' and Joseph Garnsy, who have full 
}^ power to seat the inhabitants as above." 

Cn| Another committee was appointed to (NJ) 

^ seat the women in the meeting house. ^tC 

\w When this church was erected, the |\) 

jj^ pastor was the Rev. John Bishop. After ^^o 

"^ the departure of Mr. Denton, in 1644, ^n 

two of the most important members of Jiip 

the church, Lieut. Francis Bell and ri| 

George Slauson, started for Boston on ^ 

xi foot to procure a new minister, in order ^ 

Wj that "this people might not be scattered W] 

v/ and suffered to sin against the ordinances ^/^ 

K of God." They secured Mr. Bishop, |^ 

(Gr, who walked back with them, bringing tij. 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 2g 

nothing with him but his staff in one 
hand and his Bible in the other. Mr. 
Bishop was paid a sahiry of sixty pounds 
per year, but, as money was scarce, the 
amount was paid in current and staple 
commodities. A record of 1680 reads: 
"The town doth grant unto ye ministry 
60 pounds for the present year, one-third 
part in wheat, one-third part in pork, 
one-third part in Indian corn; winter 
wheat five shillings per bushel, summer 
wheat four shillings, six pence, and pork 
at three and a quarter pence per pound, 
all good and merchantable, and Indian 
corn two shillings, six pence, per bushel." 
Mr. Bishop passed away in 1694, af- 
ter a continuous ministry of fifty years 
in this community. 



9 



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I 



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The Old Webb Tavern and the 
Stamford Tea Party 



W 



^NE of the historic places in Stam- 
ford during Revolutionary days 
was the old Webb tavern, which 
stood on the plot of ground at the cor- 
ner of Main and Bank streets, now oc- 
cupied by the Washington building. Its 
large, inviting rooms and its homelike 
atmosphere made it an attractive stop- 
ping place for distinguished travelers 
going back and forth on the Post Road. 
General Lee and General Putnam must 
have been guests there, and ft is com- 
monly believed that George Washington 
stayed there on his journey through 
Connecticut to Massachusetts to take 
charge of the Revolutionary troops in 
that commonwealth. Because of the dis- 
tinction of housing the great military 
leader, the name of the hostelry was 
later changed to the Washington House, 
which name was kept until the destruc- 
tion of the old structure in 1868. The 
present Washington Building perpetu- 
ates these associations in its name. 

An interesting event occurred in front 
of this old hotel in 1775, which reveals 
the patriotic spirit of the town. A cer- 

30 



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^c^^^k^^p^^'^^^p^^m^a^^i 



STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 3I 



1 



S 



K 



tain Sylvanus Whitney purchased a 
stock of contraband tea, which the col- 
onists had determined to reject because 
of the ])rinci})le that there should be no 
taxation without representation. Two 
years previous, the famous Boston tea 
party had made clear the sentiments of 
the people in that city on this important 
issue, and, when Mr. Whitney offered his 
tea for sale in Stamford, public indigna- 
tion rose high against him. A committee 
assumed charge of the affair, and 
brought such pressure to bear on the of- 
fender that he signed a public statement 
as follows: "Whereas, I, the subscriber, 
have been guilty of buying and selling 
Bohae tea since the first of March last 
past, whereby I have been guilty of a 
breach of the association entered into by 
the Continental Congress; and sensible 
of my misconduct, do in this public man- 
ner confess my crime and humbly re- 
quest the favor of the public to overlook 
this my transgression, promising for the 
future to conduct m3^self as a true friend 
of my country, and in testimony of my 
sincerity I do now deliver up the tea I 
have on hand unto the said committee of 
inspection to be by them committed to 
the flames." 



32 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

That night the town had a big cele- 
bration. A gallows was erected in front 
of the Webb tavern, and the townspeo- 
ple and the soldiers, who were quartered 
here, assembled for a procession. Two 
unarmed soldiers carried a long pole, 
from which was suspended the forbid- 
den tea. A group of armed soldiers under 
two captains surrounded the tea, lest the 
unfortunate "victim" should get away. 
These were followed by the citizens' 
committee who had discovered the tea 
and the culprit who was selling it. Then 
came a group of spectators, beating 
drums, blowing hfes, and making every 
conceivable noise. The procession moved 
in and out the streets and terminated 
at the tavern, where a public executioner 
suspended the tea from the gallows to 
the great delight of every one. A fire was 
built beneath the dangling "victim," 
and soon the contraband article was re- 
duced to ashes. After the obsequies were 
over the crowd joined in three mighty 
cheers, and then disbanded. The "Amer- 
ican Archives," which records the event, 
adds the significant words: "The owner 
of the tea attended during the execution, 
and behaved himself as well as could be 
expected under the circumstances." 



.<r^ai^^m^its^^iti^^m^^^i 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 33 

When the old Webb tavern was being 
torn down in 1868, a group of young 
men determined to play a joke on the 
public. They secured some old paper, 
stained it yellow to give it the effect of 
great age and then forged some docu- 
ments, apparently of the Revolutionary 
period, which purported to show that 
much of the recorded history of that 
time was false. These papers were then 
placed in the debris of the old structure 
where they could easily be found. When 
they were "discovered," they created a 
great sensation, and were written up in 
one of the New York papers as docu- 
ments of unusual historical value. After 
five days the hoax was discovered, but 
not until the perpetrators had exacted 
their full measure of fun out of it. 




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^<r^^^k^M^^^^4J^^^^^^^^ 



Major Tallmadge and His Exploits 
AT Shippan 



? 



ROMINENT among the associa- 
tions of Revolutionary history with 
Stamford are the daring exploits of 
Major Benjamin Tallmadge, a brilliant 
young officer, who carried out two im- 
portant enterprises from Shippan. 

A group of Tory marauders were lo- 
cated at Lloyd's Neck, on the Sound, 
where they had been causing consider- 
able trouble, and Major Tallmadge de- 
termined to capture them. Although a 
young man, only twenty-iive years of 
age, he had an intrepid spirit, and ar- 
ranged for an attack which older men 
might have hesitated to attempt. On 
September 5th, 1779, he assembled a 
group of one hundred and thirty picked 
men at Shippan, near the present loca- 
tion of the Stamford Yacht Club, and 
under cover of darkness started across 
the Sound for the camp of the enemy. 
He took several boats with him, which 
he hoped to use to bring back prisoners. 
Reaching his objective, his company 
moved stealthily on the camp of the 
loyalists, breaking in on them at ten 
o'clock at night, at a time when they 
34 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 35 

least suspected trouble. The manoeuvre 
was so well managed that his men were 
able to take the entire company pris- 
oners. They were piled into the boats 
brought for the purpose, and on the fol- 
lowing morning Major Tallmadge re- 
turned to Stamford. When the enemy 
were counted, it was discovered that 
there were more prisoners than there 
were men in the attacking band, and 
Major Tallmadge had not lost a single 
member of his own forces. 

Two years later, Major Tallmadge 
assembled another group of soldiers at 
Shippan, seven hundred in number, for 
another purpose. General Washington 
had given him permission to use his 
troops to attack a large number of Brit- 
ish soldiers at Huntington, Long Island. 
On a bleak night in December, his gal- 
lant company were ready to embark on 
their perilous task, when a violent storm 
developed which made the journey im- 
possible. Rain, snow and wind com- 
bined forces against them, and the sol- 
diers were compelled to pull their boats 
up on land and seek shelter beneath 
them. On the second night, an attempt 
was made again, but the fury of the 
storm was unabated, and the attack had 



^<^^C^a^^^[4!a^^B[J]sSI^3Cj3^^^ 



36 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES ^ 

I 

to be given up. On the third morning, jr 

six of the best boats were started, but (K 

the raging elements drove three of them rn 

back to land. The other three chanced ^ 

to come upon three of the enemy's boats J^p 

on the open waters of the Sound. They c}]? 

had been moving about, and had been ^JJ 

forced by the unfavorable weather to {y 

seek refuge at Norwalk Islands. They ^j 

were attempting a return to Long Island ^^ 

when Major Tallmadge's boats came (K 

upon them. Instead of engaging in a M 

land battle, as had been originally ^. 

planned, the Tories were attacked at sea. \vp 

Every man in one of the British ships r^j" 

was killed, another ship was captured, ^^/ 

while the third escaped. ^° 

Once again Major Tallmadge at- ^\ 

tempted to carry out his original plan ^^ 

to cross the Sound, but was finally com- \K\ 

pelled to give up the expedition. He ^ 

was greatly disappointed by his inability p 

to carry out his purpose, but when he ¥A 

reported his efforts to General Washing- ^> 

ton he received a letter of approval from (/l) 

him. §0 

Major Tallmadge made his home in ^ 

Litchfield. He was given the title of y/' 

Colonel, and in 1812 was offered a prom- |^ 

inent military position by President V 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 37 

Madison. He served as a representative 
to Congress with Major John Daven- 
p. port from 1800 to 1816. His death oc- 
curred at his home in Litchfield in his 
eighty-second year. 



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i^.S(^£ 



General David Waterbury 



„,, TAMFQRD has produced many 
7^ men who have distinguished them- 
selves in war, but in that galaxy of 
heroes no name is more worthy of dis- 
tinction than that of General David 
Waterbury, Jr., valiant leader in the 
French and Indian wars, and ardent pa- 
triot and soldier in the days of the 
Revolution. 

General Waterbury commenced his 
military career when he was only twen- 
ty-hve years of age. He enrolled as a 
lieutenant in the militia, and three years 
later was a captain in the train band in 
Stamford. He participated in six dif- 
ferent campaigns during the French and 
Indian wars, and was in the memorable 
attack made by General Abercrombie on 
Fort Ticonderoga in 1758. 

General Abercrombie's men moved 
cautiously toward the fort and after a 
few successful exploits, arrived, on July 
7th, within four miles of the French 
stronghold. The next da)^ they at- 
tempted an assault, but were driven back 
with a considerable loss. On the even- 
ing of that day Captain Waterbury was 
put in charge of a party of 500 men 



38 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 39 



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with instructions to hold a certain point 
on the lake which it was thought the 
French might attack. In the panic which 
followed the reverses of the day, four 
hundred of Captain Waterbury's men 
deserted him and he was left with only 
a hundred followers, many of whom 
were his fellow townsmen. Despite this 
defection of his soldiers, the Captain 
stuck tenaciously at his post until the 
morning, when he was to be relieved. 
When no relief came, he sent out one 
scout after another to discover the rea- 
son. One iinally returned with the re- 
port that the army had retreated, leav- 
ing everything in their camp in a chaotic 
condition. When Captain Waterbury 
discovered that he was left alone, he 
ordered his men to "sling their packs" 
and prepare for withdrawal. The rest of 
the army had embarked in boats and 
were well down the lake, but a few bat- 
toos were still left, and under Captain 
Waterbury's guidance, his men were able 
to get away safely, the last group to 
leave in the enforced retreat. 

Captain Waterbury's military train- 
ing prepared him for valuable services 
during the Revolutionary War. He en- 
tered the Revolution as a Colonel, and 



f^^ 



40 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 






as early as 1775, organized a regiment 
for the defense of New York. On ac- 
count of the indecision of the colonies 
he was compelled to disband the regi- 
ment for a time, but shortly afterwards, 
at the solicitation of General Charles 
Lee, he reorganized it, and this regiment 
was the first regiment of infantry re- 
sponding to the call for volunteers for 
the defense of New York against the 
British. The standard of the regiment 
was white, and bore the legend "An Ap- 
peal to Heaven." 

Colonel Waterbury was continually 
active throughout the struggle and car- 
ried out several important commissions. 
He was present at the siege of St. John's 
and the surrender of Montreal. While 
engaged as the second in command of 
the fleet operating on Lake Champlain, 
he was taken prisoner, but was later ex- 
changed. Governor Jonathan Trum- 
bull himself recommended Colonel 
Waterbury for the high military rank 
which was bestowed upon him, and char- 
acterized him as a man who " at all 
times behaved with bravery and honor." 

General Waterbury's character is 
well revealed in a letter written to his 
wife in response to one in which she ex- 



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ik STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 4I 






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pressed doubt that she would ever see 
liim again. He replied, to her fears, "I 
desire I may be in some way instrumen- 
tal of overcoming this tyrannical spirit 
that rules in England. I put my trust in 
God to defend me in the day of battle. 
I hope I shall do my du/y, stand or fall." 




Hon. Abraham Davenport and the 
Dark Day, May iqth, 1780 



TAMFORD'S most distinguished 
citizen of the eighteenth century 
was the Hon. Abraham Daven- 
port, eighth child of the Rev. John Dav- 
enport, minister in the town from 1694 
till 1731. His great-grandfather was 
the original John Davenport, who 
founded the New Haven colony, and 
whose name is intimately associated 
with the early life of Connecticut. 

Abraham Davenport was a graduate 
of Yale College, and early in life dis- 
tinguished himself as a man of singular 
abilities. He was the one person to 
whom the community naturally and in- 
stinctively turned during the crucial 
days of the Revolutionary War. His 
fellow-townsmen recognized his remark- 
able gifts and bestowed many honors 
upon him. For thirty-one years he 
served as a selectman, holding that of- 
fice for a longer period than any other 
resident of Stamford. He sat as a mem- 
ber of the state legislature during 
twenty-five sessions, and was state sena- 
tor for eighteen years. His legal gifts 
were recognized by his selection for pro- 



ofi, 



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^<r^<^sm/m^i^s^^^^m^m^\x^^'^ 



STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 43 






.1 



bate judge, which oliice he held to the 
great satisiaction ot every one. At his 
Ueatii he was judge at the county seau. 

The passionate longing for treedom 
in Revolutionary days found full ex- 
pression in his devotion to the colonial 
cause. During the war he rendered val- 
uable assistance to George Washington 
and Governor Trumbull, by both of 
whom he was recognized as a wise coun- 
selor and leader. 

Mr. Davenport will long be remem- 
bered as the principal figure in an anec- 
dote connected with the famous dark 
day, May 19th, 1780. The story reveals 
the true character of the man, and gives 
some insight into his philosophy of life. 
May 19th, 1780, was a day long remem- 
bered by the people who were living at 
that time. Some strange physical phe- 
nomena occurred, which caused the day 
to become unusually dark. Candles 
were lighted, birds were hushed, fowls 
retired to roost; bats flitted about, and 
many thought the Day of Judgment had 
come. The state legislature was in ses- 
sion in Hartford at this time, and the ex- 
citement and commotion became so 
p-reat that the lower house adiourned. 
The Senate considered the advisability 



s^\ 



44 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

of doing so, and turned to Colonel Dav- 
enport, as he was then designated, for 
his advice. With firm voice and calm 
demeanor, he said: "I am against ad- 
journment. The Day of Judgment is 
either approaching or it is not. If it is 
not, there is no cause for adjournment. 
If it is, I choose to be found doing my 
duty. I wish, therefore, that candles 
may be brought." Whittier has written 
a beautiful poem, entitled "Abraham 
Davenport," in which he memorializes 
this event. His closing lines are strik- 
ing: 

''And there he stands in memory to this 

day^ 
"Erects self-poised^ a rugged face half 

seen 
Against the background of unnatural 

dark^ 
A witness to the ages as they pass — 
That simple duty has no place for 

fearr 



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A British Invasion of Stamford and 

AN Attack on the Church 

AT Middlesex 

^^HE present town of Darien was 
if^ originally a part of Stamford, and 
remained so until 1820, when it 
was incorporated as a separate town. In 
Revolutionary days the place was known 
as Middlesex. A church was established 
there, and the Rev. Moses Mather was 
made the pastor. Mr. Mather began his 
ministerial career when the church was 
organized in 1744, and under his lead- 
ership the new organization greatly 
prospered. During Revolutionary days 
he was an ardent champion of the colo- 
nial cause and used his gifts fearlessly in 
the support of General Washington and 
his troops. He was so active in his work 
that he aroused the bitter animosity of 
the Tories, and on August 3d, 1779, five 
members of his own parish, with three 
other British sympathizers, seized him 
and his four sons, and carried them 
away to New York. Later he was re- 
leased, but was destined to have an 
even harder experience upon his return 

to Middlesex. 

45 



^^^^^m/m^^itis^^siii^m^^^^^^ 



46 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES <^) 



A group of Tories from Lloyd's Neck 
journeyed across the Sound on Saturday, 
July 21st, 1781, and secreted themselves 
in the swamp near the Middlesex meet- 
ing house. They were about forty in 
number and were under the leadership 
of one of the residents of the community 
which they had come to attack. On Sun- 
day afternoon, while Dr. Mather stood 
up in his pulpit to preach to his congre- 
gation, the invaders closed in upon the 
assembled worshippers and demanded 
surrender. Only a few escaped. One 
old lady marched boldly through the 
ranks of the enemy, and no one dared 
to touch her. The minister's son made a 
dash for liberty, and, although he was 
able to effect his escape, received a bul- 
let wound in his heel which left a scar 
for the rest of his life. 

The men of the congregation were un- 
able to offer any resistance, and were 
seized by the enemy, who bound them 
together, two and two, and arranged 
them in marching order. The women and 
children were placed under a special 
guard. The patriot preacher was placed 
at the head of the prisoners, and after 
all had been searched and deprived of 
their jewelry and valuables, the men 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 47 



53 



9 



were led away. Boats were in readiness, 
and forty-eight were taken across the 
Sound to Lloyd's Neck. Here the men 
found some of their own townspeople 
and former neighbors, who were located 
there in that Tory settlement, but they 
received little consideration or kindness 
from them. After a short time, half of 
the group were sent home and the other 
half were taken to Provost prison in 
New York. Their life there was unen- 
durable, and only nineteen of the twen- 
ty-six that were incarcerated lived to re- 
turn home, when an exchange of prison- 
ers was effected on December 27th. 

Mr. Mather was among those taken to 
the prison. His food was insufficient 
for his needs, and, as President Dwight 
records, "His lodgings corresponded 
with his food. His company, to a large 
extent, was made up of a mere rabble, 
and their conversation, from which he 
could not retreat, composed of profane- 
ness and ribaldry." The Provost Mar- 
shal in charge of the prison was particu- 
larly unkind to him, and sought to tor- 
ture him by telling him, from time to 
time, that his execution had been plan- 
ned for the following day. 



^^°J^s^^i43?^^Si43a^^3(53=5^^ 



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48 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

Mr. Mather was finally released, and 
returned to his parish in Middlesex, 
where he remained in his pastorate until 
Sept. 21, 1806, at which time he died. 
He had a consecutive ministry of sixty- 
two years in this, the only church in 
which he ever served. 



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Desfxration of Stamford's Oldest 
Burial Ground 



® 



HE two triangular greens located 
at the place where River and South 
Streets enter Main Street are inter- 
esting, not only for their present charm, 
but for their historic associations. These 
two open places, with the intervening 
space on the Post Road, mark Stam- 
ford's first burial ground. 

The original Post Road from Boston 
to New York passed through Stamford, 
but its course was much more irregular 
than it is today. The highway had many 
a twist and turn, which added consider- 
ably to the actual distance between the 
two great cities. In 1795, traffic on this 
famous thoroughfare had become suffi- 
ciently great to bring out a general de- 
mand for straightening the road and 
eliminating all unnecessary curves. 
Many heavy stage coaches plied back 
and forth, and the number using the 
road was continually becoming larger. 
During the session of the state legisla- 
ture in 1800, a commission was ap- 
pointed to make a careful survey of the 
situation, and large powers were dele- 
gated to them to make such changes in 
49 



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^'^^^^^Si^x^^^it^i^^^^l 



50 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

the road as were deemed necessary. The 
original Post Road entered Stamford on 
the east at Main Street, and proceeded 
westward to Park Place. Thence it con- 
tinued past the present Davenport Hotel 
to River Street; thence to the right to 
Broad Street; thence to the left over 
what was known as Theale's bridge, and 
over Palmer's Hill, past the spot now 
occupied by the Stamford Hospital. 
The commissioners proposed to take this 
irregular bend out of the road by going 
diagonally through the old cemetery of 
the town, leaving two small plots on 
either side. The citizens looked upon 
the burial place as a hallowed spot, 
made sacred by the memory of many 
whose mortal remains had been placed 
there, and they strenuously opposed the 
project. But the commission felt that 
the public good was of more importance 
than the sentiment of a few villagers, 
and proceeded with their task, taking 
care, however, to move carefully the re- 
mains of the dead. When the road was 
finally opened, the opponents of the plan 
expressed their disapproval in vigorous 
fashion. They assembled together at 
night, and with their faithful oxen 
dragged load after load of huge rocks — 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 5I 



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in which the town was not lacking — and 
placed them at either end of the entrance 
to the cemetery. The first piles were pa- 
tiently removed by the authorities, but, 
before the incident was closed, four suc- 
cessive efforts had been made to block 
traffic in this manner. For years after- 
wards, old residents could not be in- 
duced to drive through the hallowed 
spot, preferring always to go around 
and not to desecrate the abode of the 
dead. 

An amusing anecdote is told in con- 
nection with the removal of the remains 
from the cemetery. When the bones 
were being removed, a large hogshead 
was rolled to the place, and the exhumed 
bones were placed in it. A citizen of the 
village who was returning home one 
night, after imbibing too freely, crawled 
into the hogshead and, in his intoxicated 
condition fell asleep. A little later in 
the evening, two deacons of the church 
happened to be walking past the burial 
ground, and stopped for a few words of 
farewell by the large cask. The bung of 
the barrel was out, and one of the men 
playfully took his walking stick and 
thrust it through the hole. The drunken 
man within felt the thrust and let out a 



'^^^^ 



^^^^^m^^^^^ 



52 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

terrible groan, and the two deacons, 
thinking the dead had come to life, cried I 
out in terror and fled in utmost haste. 
It is rumored that they have not stopped 

yet! ; 




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Going to Church in Stamford One 
Hundred Years Ago 

AN interesting description of the 
Old Meeting House which stood 
in Central Park one hundred years 
ago is given by a writer who attended 
services there in 1824. His vivid pic- 
ture helps us to reconstruct an idea of 
the interior of the old edifice and the na- 
ture of the worship held there. He 
writes as follows concerning the place: 
"That venerable building used to be 
called the meeting house of that time, 
but the term itself revealed one of the 
weaknesses of the old Puritans, who had 
contracted, we think, an unreasonable 
aversion toward Episcopalians, who 
were in the habit, from the first, of call- 
ing their places of worship churches. It 
is time that the awkward paraphrase of 
ours was dropped. The pulpit, of which 
Parson Smith always seemed to be a 
part, stood on a post, and was a little 



larger than a good-sized 



hogshead. 



Over it was suspended what was called 
a sounding board, in the shape of an 
umbrella, though a very solid and heavy 
one; and the writer, in his boy days, not 
understanding much of what was going 
53 



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54 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES ^ 

on in the pulpit on Sunday, nor feeling 
) very much interest in what was good | 

preaching, and was so considered by the 
congregation, used to sit and watch that 
) heavy umbrella, in the expectation that 1 

J it would perhaps fall some day, and 
' then, would it kill Parson Smith *? He 
' thought not, for it would probably 
I crowd him down into the hogshead like 
' a Jack-in-the-box. 

I "There was one box stove in the 

church, near the door, which supplied 
the congregation with smoke and with a 
I dripping black acid that came down in 
) gentle showers from the long stove-pipe. 
) For heat and comfort we depended 
chiefly on foot stoves of all patterns. It 
) always made quite a sensation when 
' some one was obliged to go to the stove 
I and fill up the foot stove with live coals, 
which often happened during the ser- 
vices. 

"When there was no choir in the high 
gallery to set the tune, Parson Smith 
used to give a look toward Sylvanus and 
Harris Scoiield in their pews, and, after 
a few cross fires of glances between the 
three parties, it seemed to be understood 
that they were called upon to leave their 
pews and walk down the aisle, out of 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES ^^ 

the door, and up the stairs leading from 
the entry to the singers' loft. As the 
floor of the aisle had no carpets, every 
time the boots struck the floor until they 
arrived in the choir we could mark prog- 
ress by the noise they made. Pretty soon 
the sounding pipe, a kind of whistle on 
the note A, in the form of a small book, 
was produced and sounded, and after 
one or two 'hems' to see that every- 
thing was clear and ready for action, the 
psalm began, and never broke down very 
often till the whole was finished. High 
up in the wall, behind the choir, was a 
window through which the bell-ringer 
always looked down to see when the 
minister appeared in the pulpit, and that 
ended the tolling of the belL 

"In connection with this venerable 
old church, the writer quite distinctly 
remembers a certain day (week day) 
when there was a large crowd around 
the church and in the church, and on 
inquiry, was told that it was a court 
about Henshel wood and Elizabeth . 

''Right opposite, on the south side of 
the street, was the whipping post. At 
the bottom of the whipping post was a 
remnant of the stocks, that is, the lower 
part of them, the upper part having dis- 



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56 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES ^ 



appeared before the writer's recollection 
of things began." 

Parson Smith referred to in this de- 
scription was the Rev. Daniel Smith, 
who was pastor of the Congregational 
Church for fifty-three consecutive years. 
An interesting anecdote is told of him 
which, although not related to the 
above, reveals something of the situa- 
tion existing in his time. Stamford was 
taxed to support the Congregational 
ministry from the beginning of the set- 
tlement till 1835, ^^^ i^ 1802, when the 
church was in arrears financially. Par- 
son Smith went to a blacksmith to col- 
lect the citizen's tax for the support of 
the gospel. The sum was one dollar. 
The blacksmith was not an attendant of 
the church, and responded: "I haven't 
attended church; why should I pay the 
dollar?" To this the minister replied: 
"The doors are always open, and you 
could have attended had you chosen to 
do so." After some argument, the black- 
smith yielded and handed over the 
money. A few days later. Parson Smith 
received a bill from the blacksmith for 
two dollars for shoeing his horse. The 
parson called on the blacksmith at once 
for an explanation, for he had not had 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 57 



his horse shod. "Well," said the smith 
to the parson's protest, "the door of the 
S, shop was open, and I was there, and you 
could have had your horse shod had you 
chosen to do sol" There is no evidence 
that the bill was ever paid. 



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The Visit of Lafayette to 
Stamford 



^ 



^tfifARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE has 

Ijjfl always been a popular idol of the 
American people, but never more 
so than to the generation immediately 
following the Revolutionary War. His 
earnest espousal of the Colonial cause 
made a deep impression on the people, 
who were not unmindful of the assist- 
ance he secured from France, and his 
military achievements at Barren Hill 
and Monmouth. His efforts were of un- 
questioned value in hastening the end of 
the struggle which made the colonies 
free. In August, 1824, he visited the 
United States at the invitation of Con- 
gress, and was given an enthusiastic re- 
ception. A gift of two hundred thousand 
dollars was voted him, and he was also 
presented with a township of land. He 
had lost his own private fortunes by 
confiscation during the Reign of Terror 
in France, and these expressions of ap- 
preciation were particularly appropri- 
ate, as they helped him to re-establish 
himself financially. While in this coun- 
try he visited many cities and towns, and 
was received with unrestrained enthu- 



58 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 59 

siasm. It was during his triumphal tour 
that he visited Stamford. 

During the short time that he was 
here, he was entertained at the old Dav- 
enport home on Park Place, which occu- 
pied the location of the present Daven- 
port Hotel. This dignified colonial man- 
sion was one of the most imposing in the 
village, and was the home of Major 
John Davenport, distinguished Colonial 
patriot and former member of the Na- 
tional Congress. 

An eye-witness of the reception ac- 
corded Lafayette has recorded the im- 
pressions which the event made upon 
him as a boy, in the Fairfield County 
Democrat of March 29th, 1871. He 
writes: "His coming was a great event, 
especially for a quiet town as ours was. 
He wore a blue coat with buff-colored 
vest and breeches, and was accompanied 
by his son, George Washington. His 
carriage was drawn by four or six beau- 
tiful cream-colored horses. He went into 
the house and partook of some refresh- 
ments, and in a few moments came out 
on the piazza and a great and mighty 
shout went up from the people of the 
village, including, of course, all the boys 
in town, who had gathered around the 



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60 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

house. He walked down toward the 
gate, and on either side of him was a 
sea not of upturned faces but of out- 
stretched hands for him to shake. The 
writer managed to get one shake, and to 
hear the idolized and noble-looking man 
say, when he found it impossible to 
shake all the hands around him, 'You 
are all my children, you are all my chil- 
dren.' Soon he came out and stepped 
into his carriage, an open barouche, and 
the driver gave a loud crack with his 
whip, and the beloved hero rode on his 
way, and my heart went after him in an 
unaffected boyish gratitude and admira- 
tion." 




^<^^ai^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^' 



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An Adventure in Education at 
Shippan — 1828 



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JSAAC F. BRAGG, principal of the 
City Commercial School in New 
York, published a prospectus in 
1828 for the Shippan Academical Insti- 
tute, "intended to be established at 
Shippan, two miles from Stamford, 
Conn.", which furnishes a quaint de- 
scription of the advantages of Shippan 
and throws considerable light on the 
ideals of education about one hundred 
years ago. The pamphlet, which is now 
very rare, describes Shippan's salubri- 
ousness as follows: 

"The situation of the intended insti- 
tution is one which has been chosen after 
deliberate inquiry and observation of 
several years. The ground of decided 
preference over any other which the 
projector has been able to find is its re- 
markable healthfulness. Many places 
have been visited from eight to twenty 
miles from the city, but not one of them 
is untainted in some degree with fever 
and ague reputation; and it is his de- 
cided opinion that a more malignant 
enemy to the delicately evolving prin- 
ciples of vital energy is not to be found 



61 



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in the whole catalogue of epidemic dis- o 
eases — the whole system is enfeebled, ( 

both bodily and mental ; and in the place c 
of vigorous elasticity of spirit and < 
wholesome bounding energy of every 
function, are superinduced a puny im- 
becility, sallow apathy and morbid in- 
dolence. The general reputation of Ship- 
pan throughout Connecticut (and it has 
been visited by thousands for several 
years past as a place curiously beauti- 
ful) is, that in healthfulness it is equal 
even to Newport, and surpassed by no 
place in the Eastern states." 

Mr. Bragg states that a portion of the 
garden will "be allotted to the pupils 
for cultivation, both with a view to pro- 
mote their health and to create a par- 
tiality for one of the most innocent and 
fascinating of studies, that of Botany." 
He promises that the cultivation of the 
French language will be constant and 
persevering, but not to the detriment of 
English, for he has lived on terms of 
intimacy with families in London, where 
French "has utterly unhinged the Eng- 
lish tongue of every child in the family; 
where it might be said that they ?num' 
bled and whined English and spoke 
French very well for English children." 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 63 



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Among the "By-Laws and Terms of 
the School" may be found the following 
curious items : 

''None will be permitted to bathe, but 
at stated times, and when a teacher is in 
company. 

"Profanity, quarrelsomeness and mo- 
roseness will be considered as decided 
disqualifications for social fellowship. 
The character of the polished gentleman 
will be sedulously cultivated. 

"Pupils are required to wear uniform 
dress. The leading object with the prin- 
cipal in this arrangement is, to remove, 
as much as possible, every trifling im- 
pediment to brotherly harmony and self- 
respect." 

"The terms of the school will be one 
hundred fifty dollars per annum, for 
board, lodging, washing and instruc- 
tion." 



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Stamford's Oldest Business 
Institution 



^jrHE Stamford Advocate dates its 
t|L origin to 1829, and has the distinc- 
tion of being the work of Stam- 
ford's oldest business institution. 

In 1829, when Stamford was a vil- 
lage of thirty-seven hundred people, 
William H. Holly installed a printing 
press in a small office on the south side 
of West Park. He commenced the pub- 






?f»K:E 



1. nboui 
cwd colt, 
nail 9t«r 
I have It 
cliartiep. 
V'^LL. 



S3.. 



IVEBi: 

illBi;<>. will 
Mad F>ir.cj^ 
•■crc»'i(i«<i) 

Clotll, HlUl 



... . Mr. riHtr. yiC^ytf. UaUr».u)v A; V\ -..f Uii- 
t,rn, Rey.llcmy ii.Mijr.Rcv Duftiel ifSmiili. Suim. 
ford, Messrs. E Seofief^ U Co 3(jh f»e<^fc| sij^ef, 
P^en- Yo.U. 

North Slamfcrd, Apiu' &, IS83. 




R 



A/t AWAV from -in* 
__ obscHberon ih« 26ib 
of March loft. n wpro Why h* 
tb^uaiPe of ISAAC JOHN. 
SONT n^c.d aboiii Ift jrare, 

_., iifxl on. »he« he »eiH aw»jr, 

A black. Seal skin capr bhick lounj j;ieke», Jlirgjy 
clothe mixed pentaloonc, and boOlf. Wi>«fv»f 
will return said 60/,. or giipe JuformntJan w'liere 
he may bofound^Khnll rec*if*» « re>««on&ble re- 
wav^l. AH person.«arc forbid har^borirg; or IrusJ- 
ipg, him'orx m^ account. . 

CHARLES^ KWAFF. 
Stanforil April 9. I«3d ~ dH 



THF, Court •( ProlMifo for -i he Dfslrtct of 
Si;<mfoid hath limited Six Monfhi. f^m thia 
• I.Ttr for the cxiiibiiion o<:Clatm< ngaifot «h« Es 



64 



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a 



Old Advertisement in The Stamford Sentinel. 

lication of a newspaper which he called 

the "Intelligencer," but after a few x| 

months was compelled to give up the en- 



l^^^^l^l 



^^^^^' 



STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 65 

terprise for lack of sufficient funds. 
Some of the energetic citizens of the 
town, believing in the value of a local 
newspaper, determined to furnish the 
necessary financial assistance to carry it 
on, and on February i6th, 1830, the 
first issue of a new paper, called the 
"Sentinel," put in its appearance. From 
that time until the present, a local news- 
paper has been published in Stamford 
without interruption, giving the publica- 
tion a consecutive history of nearly one 
hundred years. 



sition 
■isi of 
vidcd 
id lu 
only, 
eiit of 
iibjcct 



Take tite latter four -fifth* 
Of the Bees sweet pvodnte, 
And a thousand when short is »ct down 
Prefiiihe last to the first. 
It will shew wliat I want, 
,0f my patruits id coimfry orto^n 
New Hope, Oct. 18. 



JUUM H, LEEDS. 



fo 



fTJF^ HE Court of Probate for the Dis^-ict ol'Sia\n 
Sj^MJii^, haili liuiited fis months t/tm this date 

Old Advertisement in The Stamford Sentinel. 

Probably the oldest copy of the "Sen- 
tinel" now extant is in the Ferguson Li- 
brary, and is dated June 22nd, 1830. 
It is marked Volume 1, No. 19. It is a 
simple publication of four sheets, fifteen 
by twenty inches in size, and six columns 
to the page. In the first column of the 
first page is a poem on "The Fall of 



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66 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

Sodom." The rest of the page is given 
over to a story entitled "Roger Dimion," 
a tale of the Canadian frontier, copied 
from the Rochester Craftsman. The 
motto, which was accepted as the stand- 
ard for the paper, was printed at the top 
of the front page, and read as follows : 
"Pledged to no party's arbitrary sway, 
we follow Truth where'er she leads the 
way." The columns reflect the bitter 
anti-Masonic controversy raging at the 

Klisha Seely, Admlninlslrator, 
Elizabeth Gray, Administratrix* 

Lyceutn ^oHee*\ 

A MEETING of the " North Stamford Oebatw^g 
Society, will be held at the Academy in that 
place, on Saturday evening, the 25lh inst. at haM 
past 6 u'clock. 

Qupstionfot Discnssion. 
*• Aught Females to have the privilege of voting ?" 
Ladies tjre invited to attend. Gilbert Dr.AN, 
Dec. 18,1841. * Secretary. 

NOTICE. 

rj'^HE Assessors and Doard of Relief for the tawn 
JL '-'" If tanvford will meet at the Inn of Albert .^e^ly 

Old Advertisement in The Stamford Sentinel. 

time, and contain an article by a person 
who styled himself "Aristides, the 
Younger," which was a caustic denun- 
ciation of the Rev. Joel Mann of Horse- 
neck (Greenwich) for his anti-Masonic 
tendencies. 



^^3&C^i^^CjK^^S[J|i!^^«^^^^ 



STAMFORD HISTORICAJ. SKETCHES 67 



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Early issues of the "Sentinel" con- 
tain many quaint advertisements of local 
dealers, who quote prices that would 
astound purchasers today. One adver- 
tisement for shoes reads as follows: "A 
stock of shoes of every description con- 
stantly on hand from 56 to 87% cents. 
All the above articles will be sold 
cheaper than the cheapest." Very little 
local news was printed, and the columns 
were filled with sermons, poems, and lit- 
erary "gems" culled from various 
sources, and some domestic and foreign 
items taken from city newspapers. 

The "Sentinel" was later called the 
"Democratic Sentinel" and "Farmer's 
Advocate," but in May, 1848, came into 
the hands of Edgar Hoyt and Andrew 
J. Smith, who named it "The Stamford 
Advocate." It has retained the title 
"Advocate" since that time. 




?c^^[43SS^^3a3S^®2C^S^^^^ 



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The Miller Excitement 



®^ 



HE Miller Excitement" is the name 
given to a heated controversy which 
stirred the whole life of Stamford 
in 1843, and which caused trouble that 
continued for nearly a decade. 

In 1834, ^ certain Charles F. Miller 
of Yonkers, N. Y., married a seventeen- 
year-old girl named Mary Blackwell. 
Domestic difficulties arose between 
them, and eight years after their mar- 
riage the young woman, then only twen- 
ty-five, fled to Stamford, to get away 
from her husband and his persecutions. 
She sought refuge in the well known 
Stage House on Main Street. This was 
one of the popular hostelries of its time, 
and was well patronized by persons 
moving back and forth between New 
York and New England towns. Mrs. 
Miller was exceedingly attractive, and 
her beautiful features and charming 
manners instantly won her much sym- 
pathy, particularly from the younger 
element in the community. Mr. Miller 
located his bride in Stamford, and de- 
termined to carry her away by force, but 
his wife had won so many friends that 
his first two efforts to carry out his pur- 



68 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 69 



pose were unsuccessful. The "Advo- 
cate" of the time said of him that he 
was "as brutal and unfeeling a man as 
ever bore the name of man/' and "as vile 
a monster as ever trod the path of 
crime." Undaunted by his previous ef- 
forts, the persistent husband tried again 
on January 25th, 1843. Discovering 
that his wife was in the Stage House, 
he boldly entered her room, seized her 
by force, and carried her down to the 
waiting stage below. With hair dishev- 
elled, amid shrieks and cries for help, 
Mrs. Miller was carried away toward 
New York. 

The townspeople at once took sides on 
the question. Some contended that Mr. 
Miller was altogether right in his in- 
sistence that his wife should go away 
with him, while others looked upon his 
act as another expression of his brutal- 
ity. The situation created many animos- 
ities; good friends were separated, 
lodges, clubs and churches found the 
affair creeping into their organizations, 
and the unfortunate incident threatened 
many serious consequences to the life of 
the town. 

Albert Seeley, the proprietor of the 
Stage House, had furnished the woman 



^ 



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i:p^^^xpi^^^^^^ 



' 70 ST.M.OKOHISXO..C.. SKETCHES 



protection, and was considered a pro- 
nounced anti-Millerite. Some of the 
Millerites determined to take revenge 
upon him by building a larger and bet- 
ter hotel exactly opposite his hostelry. 
Thomas Dixon, the well-known archi- 
tect of the time, designed the plans, and 
after many difficulties and obstacles the 
Union House was constructed. The ded- 
icatory dinner was held in it on May 
17th, 1844, and was attended by a large 
number of the Millerites, who were also 
supporters, for the most part, of the po- 
litical movement known as loco-focoism. 
The hotel did not get the support it ex- 
pected, as is indicated in an article in 
the "Advocate" in 1845, in which the 
editor speaks of the prosperity of the 
town, but adds the significant comment : 
"There is, it appears, one exception to 
the general rule of prosperity and prog- 
ress, and that is the Joint Stock Tavern, 
yclept Union House, which is doing pen- 
ance for its sins and must first be washed 
of the blood stains of Millerism." 

Mrs. Miller received a divorce from 
the legislature in 1843, which settled 
the argument from a legal standpoint, 
but it was many years before Stamford 
recovered from the effects of the scandal. 



?^^C!3S^^S($!^^SCt]S^[^^3=s€=:?^ 



STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 7 I 

) . [ 

' The Union House was later called c 

) the Grand Union Hotel, and at the time ' 

, of its demolition in 1921 was known as < 

the Carlton Hotel. Many of the present 
residents of Stamford recall the Stage 
House and the Union House, but do not < 

know the incident that caused them to 
be located exactly opposite each other 
on Main Street. ^ 



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The Coming of the Railroad to 
Stamford in 1848 



3T was a distinct forward step in 
the life of the borough of Stamford 
when the railroad was built through 
it in 1848. Before that time the 
chief means of communication with the 
outside world were the stage coaches 
travelling the Post Road. Only a few 
were able to take the expensive stage 
trips, with the result that Stamford re- 
mained a provincial and isolated com- 
munity. The effect which the coming of 
the railroad had upon the life of the 
borough is reflected in the marked in- 
crease in population which followed im- 
mediately afterward. During the decade 
following this important event in her 
life Stamford increased as much as she 
had during the thirty years previous. 

The first train that entered the 
borough made a deep impression upon 
the townspeople. The Stamford Sen- 
tinel of December 19th, 1848, gives the 
following quaint description of the 
event: "The citizens of the village, as 
well as the horses, cattle, etc., were 
nearly frightened out of their propriety 
on Wednesday last, at about five o'clock. 



72 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 73 

by such a horrible scream as was never 
heard to issue from other than metallic 
throat. Animals of every description 
went careering about the helds, snuffing 
the air in terror, and bipeds of every size, 
condition and color set oif at a full run 
for the railroad depot. In a few mo- 
ments the cause of the commotion ap- 
peared, in the shape of a locomotive puf- 
fing oif steam and screaming with its 
so-called 'whistle' at a terrible rate." 

The last section of track to be laid 
between New York and New Haven 
was laid at Cos Cob, over the bridge con- 
structed at that place. William H. 
Holly, the editor of the Stamford Sen- 
tinel, was a passenger on the trial trip 
on Christmas Day, 1848. He describes 
what took place as follows : 

"The train had to remain at Cos Cob 
bridge some three hours for the last 
rail to be laid over it, and the delay gave 
ample opportunity to the surrounding 
people to come and witness the wonder- 
ful feat. The general impression among 
them seemed to be that the first train 
that crossed this elevated pass would 
be the last. All sorts of old women's 
stories to frighten children had been put 
in circulation regarding the safety of 






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<g^ 






' 74 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 

this bridge, and many a spectator ex- 
I pected to see our spiendid locomotive, 
elegant car and conhdmg attendants 
and passengers plunged into the deep 
below. Ten minutes before two p. m. 
Mr. Mason, chief engineer of the com- 
pany, gave the word 'all ready.' Our 
prancer was let loose. Breathless anxiety 
pervaded the multitude on each shore. 
The train moved majestically along, 
and the next minute the western shore 
received its ponderous weight, and the 
welkin rang with the shouts of the con- 
gregated people." 

James H. Hoyt, one of Stamford's 
prominent citizens in the nineteenth 
century, had an important part in the 
development of the new railroad. He 
began by contracting for bridges, ties 
and grading needed on the road, and in 
1854 was made the Superintendent. He 
contracted to supply fuel for the loco- 
motives at a time when wood was used 
in place of coal. His business sagacity 
and wise direction made possible the 
rapid and profitable development of the 
new enterprise, over which he retained 
direction for twenty-nine years, till his 
death in 1873. 



£' 



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Central Park and How It Was 

Saved for The People of 

Stamford 



'^jyROM the beginning of Stamford's 
^ll history, the center of the settle- 
ment has been exactly where it is 
today. The first meeting house, which 
was Stamford's first public building, 
stood near the present location of the 
Town Hall; the second, third and 
fourth meeting houses occupied the 
ground now known as Central Park. 

The first building in Central Park 
was erected 188 years before the last 
one located there was taken down, so 
that for nearly two centuries the reli- 
gious life of the community centered on 
this green. 

In 1790, the fourth meeting house 
of the Congregational Church was erect- 
ed on this location, but in 1858 had 
become so old and dilapidated that it 
was deemed advisable to build a new 
one. When the old building was taken 
away, the ground became unoccupied 
for the first time in many long decades. 

A question arose concerning the legal 
title of the property, and much discus- 
siorK was aroused concerning the right- 
75 



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70 STAMi-'OKD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



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ful Claimants. An idea prevailed that 
the hrst 01 tne contenauig parties that 
was able to build a lence aoout the piot 
would establish a claim which it would 
be difficult to invalidate. Immediately 
two groups prepared themselves with 
timber, shovels, hammers and saws, and 
proceeded to lence in the ground. The 
issue was a burning one, and, as several 
of Stamford's leading citizens were in- 
terested in it, the people of the town 
enjoyed the ludicrous sight of seeing 
some] of the leaders of the community 
working feverishly to out-do each other 
in the task of fencing in the plot. Par- 
ticularly active in the campaign were 
James H. Hoyt, Sands Seely, and J. B. 
Scoheld. They lived near the center of 
the town, and were anxious that proper 
disposition be made of the ground. This 
party organized so effectively that their 
opponents soon gave up the struggle. 
Subsequently a firm known as Newman 
and Hughes of Mianus bought the land. 
James H. Hoyt started a vigorous cam- 
paign among the townspeople to raise 
sufficient funds to purchase the property 
and to present it to the town. They were 
successful, and the plot was given to the 
people with the specific designation that 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 77 



it should always be used as a public 
park. For many years a beautiful foun- 
^ tain was located in the center, where it 
^v bubbled for the delectation of Stamford 
at people. 



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Stamford's Churches 



TJHHE settlers of New England showed 
L9^ a stern and uncompromising spirit 
toward persons who had religious 
beliefs different from their own. Hav- 
ing suffered much for their own convic- 
tions, it was not easy for them to tolerate 
other religious ideas. Therefore, it was 
only natural that the early inhabitants 
of Stamford took an attitude which, in 
the present day, seems narrow and 
bigoted, but in their time, was to be ex- 
pected from men and women who had 



sacrificed all things for their 



religious 



ideals. 

There were members of the Church of 
England in Stamford as early as the be- 
ginning of the eighteenth century, but 
there was such great prejudice against 
them, not only here, but throughout the 
whole commonwealth, that when their 
leaders applied to the General Assembly 
of Connecticut, in 1738, for freedom 
from the necessity of paying taxes for 
the support of the Congregational 
Church, they were voted down in both 
houses of the legislature. Episcopalians 
had occasional services of worship here 
from the 

78 



beginnins: of the eighteenth 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 79 







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century, and by 1742 had gained suffi- 
cient strength to plan for the erection ot 
a church. A request for a grant of land 
was made, and the town took action as 
follows: "The town agrees to put in a 
committee to view the place of Eliphalet 
Holly's, where the professors of the 
Church of England have petitioned for 
setting a church house, whether it may 
be granted without damage to the town, 
and to make return to the adjourned 
town meeting." The petition was grant- 
ed, and the land given was the plot now 
occupied by St. John's Episcopal 
Church, but it was not so attractive then 
as it is today. It consisted of a ledge of 
rock, surrounded on three sides by im- 
passable swamp, and on this place, it 
was thought that the church might be 
erected without "damaging" the town. 
Some of the difficulties which Episco- 
palians faced in the early days, is sug- 
gested in a report of the Rev. Ebenezer 
Dibble, one of the early rectors of the 
church. He writes, in 1757, "I preached 
on Christmas to a numerous assembly. 
Multitudes of the dissenters came to the 
church, and behaved with great de- 
cencvr St. John's first edifice was in 
use in 1747 ; the second church building, 






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erected in 1843, stood near the present ^ 

location of the Suburban Club. This K 

building burned down on January 24th, p. 

1890, and was superseded by the pres- H. 

ent beautiful structure. S(p 

The first building of the Baptist cM 

Church was erected before the formal ^ 

organization of the church itself. The °^ 

house of worship was completed in Cn| 

1772, and a year later, under the leader- ^/ 

ship of Ebenezer Ferris, a layman, the 
organization of the church was effected. 
Mr. Ferris was later ordained to the 
ministry and became the first pastor. In 
1790, a second building was erected on 
River Street to take the place of the 
first one, and in 1859, under the direc- 
tion of Joseph B. Hoyt and others, the 
present dignified edifice was erected. 

The pathway of the Methodists was 
no easier than that of the Episcopalians. 
The Rev. Daniel Devinne, who was M 

stationed here in 1830, gives us the old- of 

est records of the Methodist Church. fo 

The church was founded in 1788, and ^ 

meetings were held in an old house on °& 

River Street, which is still standing on 
its original location. Mr. Devinne's 
record states that the church made 
earnest efforts to secure a building, and 






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"after frequent petitions, the town, 
which at that time was under the influ- 
ence of the Congregational order granted 
to the 'fanatics' a place — a mud hole on 
the commons — on which to build a 
church." The first building was erected 
in 1813 on the alloted spot, which was a 
little to the east of the present Metho- 
dist Church. One writer of the early 
times refers to the spiritual progress of 
the town, but speaks contemptuously of 
the "fanatics," who may have been a lit- 
tle noisy at times, by saying, "Zion con- 
tinues to grow, notwithstanding the 
shade of public sentiment and the rude 
attempt of the bulls of Bashan to de- 
stroy it." The second Methodist church 
building stood on the corner of River 
Street and Park Place, and the old 
building, now an apartment house, still 
occupies this same location. The pres- 
ent house of worship is the third edifice 
which the Methodists have had. It was 
erected in 1859, and from time to time 
has been altered to meet the growing 
needs of the church. 

The churches organized in the nine- 
teenth century met none of the severe 
opposition which came to those of an 
earlier time, although there was some 



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82 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



prejudice still existing at the beginning 
of this period. The members of the Uni- 
versalist Church held their first services 
in the old Town House, which stood 
near the center of Atlantic Square, and 
in 1845, built a simple Gothic building 
on the spot now occupied by the Town 
Hall. This building was taken down, 
when the old Town Hall was erected, 
and the Universalists moved to their 
present location at the corner of Pro- 
spect and Forest Streets. 

St. John's Roman Catholic Church 
dates its origin to 1845, when occasional 
priests visited Stamford and said mass 
for the Catholics living in this vicinity. 
Father John Brady was the first priest 
in charge of the church, and under his 
direction, the first Catholic Church in 
Stamford was erected. The location of 
this church was on Meadow Street. The 
present building on Atlantic Street was 
started by Father John Fagan, in 1873, 
but he did not live to see it completed. 
The basement of the church was used 
for a while, but on May 30th, 1886, the 
dedicatory services for the completed 
church were held. 

The first Presbyterian Church was or- 
ganized in 1853 with the Rev. J. Leon- 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 83 



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ard Corning as its first pastor. The first 
building occupied the same location as 
the present Presbyterian Church, and 
was in constant use from the time of 
organization until August 7th, 1882, 
when it was burned down. The present 
beautiful house of worship was erected 
to replace the original one. A large addi- 
tion to the building was made in 1920, 
which greatly increases the church's 
facilities. 

St. Andrew's Church was the out- 
growth of a mission promoted and fos- 
tered by the Hon. John Ferguson. The 
church was consecrated on May 8th, 
1861, and became incorporated as a 
parish on June 12th, 1865. The Rev. F. 
Windsor Brathwaite was the first rector, 
continuing in his office for forty-three 
years, until his death in 1908. He was 
one of the most beloved spiritual leaders 
the community has ever had. 

Union Memorial Church in Glen- 
brook started a Sunday School, organ- 
ized and developed by the Rev. Samuel 
Scoville. A chapel was erected on land 
given by Francis A. Palmer and in 1896, 
a church organization was effected. The 
Rev. Samuel J. Evers is the first and 
only pastor. 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church 
was organized in August, 1907, and the 
new building for the use of this parish 
was dedicated February 5th, 1908. 
Father D. L. Gleason has been the priest 
in charge during the entire history of 
the church. 



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Maritime Life of Stamford 

HE life of Stamford has always 
been closely associated with the 
waters of Long Island Sound. Be- 
fore the coming of the white man to 
these parts, Wascussue, lord of Shippan; 
Pi ami kin, sagamore of Roatan, and 
Chief Myanos built their camps close to 
the sea, and their dark-skinned followers 
used the bays and the inlets of the Sound 
as their fishing grounds. 

As early as 1642, Captain John 
Underbill, the erratic military genius 
and mortal foe of the dreaded Indians, 
sailed into the Stamford harbor after a 
dangerous ride from Boston in his small 
two-masted vessel. Navigation was a 
much more difficult undertaking in 
those days than it is now, and his trip 
was regarded as a memorable one. 

The first steamboat to enter the Stam- 
ford harbor was the Oliver Wolcott, 
and it arrived in 1825. An eye-witness 
describes the impressions which it made 
upon him as a boy. "The Oliver Wol- 
cott came up into the harbor and landed 
a little above Captain Lockwood's 
wharf. The whole population of men 
and boys were there. A great crowd 

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stepped on board as soon as she had 
made fast, and one boy at least had a 
mortal fear of going near the boiler. In 
a moment the steam was let off, and such 
a fearful scream it made to our unac- 
customed ears I We concluded at once 
that she had burst her boiler, or was 
boiling her buster, we didn't know 
then which it was, and with our hands 
over our ears, we rushed ashore, to be 
laughed at by some of the more knowing 
ones." 

A pronounced forward step was taken 
in 1833, when it was decided to build a 
canal into the heart of the town. Alfred 
Bishop was the leading spirit in the new 
movement. Prominent men of the town 
gathered their followers about them, 
and took up the work. The canal was 
1 80 rods in length, 30 feet in width and 
7 feet in depth, and the cost of building 
it, including three stores erected on it, 
was seven thousand dollars. The first 
sloop to enter the canal was called the 
"Mayflower," and was manned by Cap- 
tain Rufus Ward well. Two years after 
the completion of the Canal the "Sen- 
tinel" records: "Through the persever- 
ance of a single individual, a ship 
channel has been opened and the enter- 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 87 



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prising Messrs. William and R. Hoyt 
and Co. have despatched the schooner 
James Star with a full freight for the 
West Indies. The value of this canal 
to this vicinity is not yet fully realized, 
but every day unfolds to the skeptic new 
evidences of its utility." The canal 
terminated on Main Street where the 
Quintard Block now stands, and often 
boats were anchored within one hundred 
feet from our present Atlantic Park. 

Many small sloops plied between 
Stamford and New York, taking the 
vegetables grown on the adjoining farms 
to the markets of the city. 

Commodore James D. Smith did more 
than any other man to stimulate an in- 
terest in yachting in Stamford. He was 
keenly interested in the sport himself 
and established a reputation as an inter- 
national yachtsman. He was one of the 
original directors of the Stamford Yacht 
Club, organized in 1891, which club has 
been the chief factor in fostering an 
interest in this sport during the last 
thirty years. 



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Seal of the Town of Stamford 



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AT the annual meeting of the Town 
of Stamford, held on October 
14th, 1915, the following resolu- 
tion was adopted : 

"Resolved, That the following seal 
be adopted as the seal of the town of 
Stamford, to wit, a shield divided into 



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four quarters; the first quarter represent- 
ing the coat of arms of Stamford in 
Lincolnshire, England, the second quar- 
ter representing in peaceful profile the 
Indian and the settler, the third quarter 
representing an old grist mill and field 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL vSKETCHES 89 



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of grain, the fourth quarter representing 
two crossed keys, one of ancient and one 
of modern design; above the shield an 
ancient ship and below the shield, in a 
scroll, the words 'Stamford, Connecti- 
cut,' and between the scroll and the 
shield, the figures — 1641." 

The meaning of these symbols is ap- 
parent. The ship is suggestive of the 
journey across the sea made by the origi- 
nal settlers; the coat of arms of Stam- 
ford in England is used because it was 
from this old town that Stamford 
received her name; the settler and the 
Indian remind us of these two groups, 
brought together at the time of the origi- 
nal settlement; the grist mill represents 
Stamford's first industry, built in 1641 
near the present location of the bridge 
on Main Street which crosses the Rippo- 
wam River, an industry which had a con- 
tinuous existence for 158 years; and 
the two crossed keys symbolize Stam- 
ford's present largest industry, the Yale 
& Towne Manufacturing Co. 



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Stamford's Record in War 

TAMFORD has established an 
enviable record for herself in war, 
and one of which the citizens may 
be justly proud. There has never been a 
struggle in which the country has been 
involved to which her sons have not 
responded freely and courageously. 
When it was necessary to lift arms 
against the Indians, the men of the an- 
cient settlement responded quickly, and 
under the leadership of such men as 
Captain John Underbill, Captain Jona- 
than Sellick and Sergeant Daniel Wes- 
cott, helped to drive back the dark- 
skinned enemy. 

During Revolutionary days, the sen- 
timent of the community was distinctly 
in favor of the colonies. While there 
were some loyalists here, as elsewhere, 
who did not approve of the conflict and 
who caused trouble for the others, the 
majority entered earnestly into the fight 
for Independence. Immediately after the 
battle of Lexington and Concord, when 
it was thought that New York might 
be invaded, Joseph Hoyt enlisted a com- 
pany of thirty men to go to the help of 
that city. The defense proved unneces- 

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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES Ql 

sary, and the little company returned 
after eight days' service, having the 
distinction, however, of being the first 
group in Stamford to take up arms in 
the memorable conflict. Subsequently 
Captain Hoyt organized another com- 
pany and a third was formed later under 
Col. David Waterbury. Col. Waterbury 
later became a general in the colonial 
army, and his name stands out as one 
of the brilliant military leaders of his 
time. 

Usual Knapp of North Stamford de- 
serves special recognition in connection 
with the Revolution. He was one of the 
personal life guards of General Wash- 
ington during the war and enjoyed his 
special favor. He was buried at Wash- 
ington's headquarters, at Newburgh, 
N. Y., with special military honors. 

The sentiment of Stamford during 
the Civil War was absolutely unified. 
Over one-tenth of the entire population 
of the village responded to the call to 
arms for the defense of the Union. After 
Lincoln's call for volunteers, a mass 
meeting was held in Stamford and 
thirty young men, headed by Theodore 
Miller and Theodore Delacroix, signed 
up for service. Stamford's first com- 



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92 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



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pany was organized under Captain 
Albert Stevens, and shortly after an- 
other company was formed by Captain 
Lorenzo Meeker. A large number of the 
Stamford recruits became members of 
the 28th regiment, which saw active 
service in the siege and assault of Port 
Hudson in 1863. Charles A. Hobbie, 
captain of one of the companies organ- 
ized in Stamford, was one of a family 
which contributed six brothers to the 
war and which has given the name to a 
local post of the G. A. R. 

Stamford's participation in the World 
War is so well known as to need little 
emphasis. Her representatives were 
found in every branch of the service, 
and also in the ranks of the various 
organizations doing auxiliary work for 
the troops. There were three companies 
of the National Guard in Stamford at 
the beginning of the war. All of these 
companies were enrolled in the Federal 
service, and all of them participated in 
actual fighting. 

Battery F, Field Artillery, had re- 
turned to Stamford from service on the 
Mexican border only two weeks before 
declaration of war with Germany. The 
unit immediately entered the Federal 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 93 



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service and became a part of the 103d 
Field Artillery of the 26th division. 
The men embarked for France in Octo- 
ber, and saw actual service for the first 
time on February 14th, 1918, near the 
little village of Ostelt. They partici- 
pated in the fighting at Chateau Thierry 
and helped win the second battle of the 
Marne. At the signing of the armistice 
they were actively engaged between 
Verdun and Metz. 

Battery D, 56th Artillery, Connecti- 
cut Artillery Corps, contained many 
young men from the Seventh Company, 
Connecticut Artillery Corps, Connecti- 
cut National Guard, which was located 
in Stamford. The battery left New 
York for France on March 28th, 1918, 
and after considerable moving about, 
were finally able to participate in actual 
fighting starting first at Lhuys. The 
battery was engaged in the Argonne 
offensive when the signing of the armis- 
tice put an end to the struggle. The 
battery shared in two major offensives, ( 

in the Fismes and the Argonne-Meuse °i 

sectors. 



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94 STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 



The Ninth Company, Connecticut 
Artillery Corps, Connecticut National 
oO, Guard, entered Federal service on 

August 4th, and subsequently became a 
part of Battery E, 56th Artillery. This 
battery had its baptism of fire on August 
15th, near Fismes. It also participated 
in the Argonne offensive and was en- 
gaged in that sector at the signing of the 
tto armistice. 
W Stamford lost thirty-eight men during 

the World War. Her citizens subscribed 
over thirteen millions of dollars to the 
q^G) five government loans, in each drive 

^ over-subscribing the quota by a generous 

^ amount. In the Red Cross drives Stam- 
ford was united with Darien and New 
Canaan, and these groups gave $147,- 
312.83 in the first campaign and 
& $166,059.43 in the second. These towns 

raised $29,170.72 for the Y. M. C. A. 
war fund and $132,920.70 for the 
United War Work fund. 

Statistics of the actual number of par- 
ticipants from Stamford in the various 
wars in which the country has engaged 
are difficult to compile, but according 
to the records prepared for the Soldiers' 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 95 

Memorial, erected in St. John's Park, 

the number is as follows: 
^=^ Colonial and Indian Wars— 278 

^\ Revolutionary War 493 

^> War of 1812 191 

1^ Mexican War 7 

K Civil War 700 

^ Spanish-American War 14^ 

^] World War 2637 

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Interesting 



Dates in 
History 



Stamford's 



1635-1700 

1635 — Church organized at Wethersfield, 
Conn. The majority of members 
in this church moved to Stamford in 
1641, with a minority of the planters, 
continuing their ecclesiastical organi- 
zation here. It is now known as the 
First Congregational Church. 

1640 — July 1st. Original plot of land com- 
prising Stamford, purchased from the 
Indians by Nathaniel Turner, repre- 
sentative of the New Haven colony. 

1641 — First settlers arrived in Stamford in the 
spring of the year. 

1685 — May 26th. Town of Stamford incor- 
porated. 

1700-1800 

1706 — April 4th. First record of services of 
the Episcopal Church held in Stam- 
ford. 

1731 — Separation of civil and ecclesiastical 
affairs of the town. 
Lj ^743 — Corner stone laid of the first building 

<Vk of St. John's Episcopal Church. 

pS, 1744 — Congregational Church of Middlesex 

cj'U (Darien) organized. 

Iv ^7-^^ — Captain (later General) David Water- 

^ bury and men share in assault on Fort 

^uf Ticonderoga. 

((/) 1773 — November 1st. First Baptist Church 

^p founded. 

(^X ^779 — March 26th. General Putnam rode to 

(/)) Stamford from Greenwich to get help 

^ to repulse the British. 



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STxVMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 97 ig^ 

iyyg_Sept. 5th. Major (later Colonel) %^ 

Benjamin Tallmadge and 130 men, CT 

starting from Shippan, attacked a band %^ 

of Tories at Lloyd's Neck, bringing ego 

back 131 prisoners. /^ 

-July 22nd. Church at Middlesex Xw 

(Darien) attacked by Tories, and the ^/ 

Rev. Moses Mather and members of (|W 

the congregation led away prisoners. ^ 
iy88_First Methodist Episcopal Church 
founded. 

1800-1900 
The "Oliver Wolcott," first steamboat 

to enter Stamford harbor, arrived at ^ 

Capt. Augustus Lockwood's wharf. go 
Stamford's first newspaper, "The Intel- 
ligencer," founded. 

-February 16th. "The Sentinel," fore- 
runner of "The Advocate," founded. 
-Stamford incorporated as a borough. 
Population 663, including two slaves. 

-Darien incorporated. A^^ 

-Stamford's first bank incorporated. V^j 

John W. Leeds was chosen president. .r 

Charles Hawley elected Lieutenant (R 

Governor, only Stamford citizen ever ^ 

holding this office. S^ 

■Universalist Church founded. Fk 

-December 22nd. Stamford's second V^ 

centennial celebrated. Historical ad- -^^ 

dress by Rev. John W. Alvord. X| 

-Sept. 1st. Roman Catholic services J 

first held in Stamford. "O" 

-Famous Miller controversy. ^ (V\ 

-Rippowam Fire Co. No. 1, Stamford's ^^^ 

first fire department, organized. c/u 

;— December. First railroad train entered (|^ 

Stamford. tg 



1825— 

1829- 

1830- 

1830- 

1830 
1834 

1838- 



1841 
1841 



1842- 

1843 
1845 

1848 



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1849 — July 4th. Ground broken for first 

Roman Catholic Church in Stamford, 

erected on Meadow Street. 
1853 — February 25th. First Presbyterian 

Church organized. 
1855 — Stamford Female Seminary founded. 

Forerunner of the Katherine Aiken 

School. 
1855 — William T. Minor elected Governor, 

only Stamford citizen ever holding this 

office. 
1861 — April 20th. First Civil War meeting 

held in Stamford. 
1861 — May 8th. St. Andrew's Church conse- 
crated. 
1866 — June 20th and 21st. Hoyt family 

meeting held in the Congregational 

Church. 
1868 — Ground broken for first building of 

Yale & Towne Mfg. Co. Factory 

commenced operations in March, 1869. 
1870 — July 2nd. President Grant visited 

Stamford. 
1871 — Sept. 1st. Old Town Hall completed. 
1881 — November. Ferguson Library first 

opened to the public. 
1881 — Hobbie Post, No. 23, G. A. R., organ- 
ized. 
1882 — August 8th. Presbyterian Church 

struck by lightning, and burned to the 

ground. 
1886 — June 8th. Woolen mills burned. 
1887 — January 31st. Horse-drawn street cars 

operated between stables on Woodside 

Street and depot. 
1888 — March 12th. Beginning of the famous 

"Blizzard of '88." 
1888 — Stamford Oratorio Society founded. 

Alfred Hallam, conductor. 



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STAMFORD HISTORICAL SKETCHES 99 

iggg — July 3d. President Harrison visited 
Stamford. 

lgg2 — April 4th. "The Advocate" com- 
menced publication as a daily news- 
paper. 

1892 — October 19th. 250th anniversary of 
Stamford. George H. Hoyt, chairman 
of General Committee. Address by 
Rev. R. P. H. Vail, D. D. 

1892 — Charter granted to the Stamford 
Hospital. 

1893 — Borough of Stamford incorporated as 
a city. 

1896 — June nth. Union Memorial Church 
organized. 

1900-1922 

ig04 — February 4th. Old Town Hall burned. 

1906 — October 31st. Board of Appropriation 
approved purchase of Halloween Park. 

1907 — August. St. Mary's Roman Catholic 
Church organized. 

1907 — October 5th. Inauguration of electric 
train service between Stamford and 
New York. 

1908 — January 22nd. Betts Academy burned. 

1909— Stamford's new Y. M. C. A. building 
opened. 

1913 — September 20th. Stamford Hospital 
dedicated. 

1914 — May 16th. First observance of Settler's 
day. 

1916 — June nth. 275th anniversary of 
Stamford. Robert Whittaker, chair- 
man of the General Committee. His- 
torical address by Judge Charles 
Davenport Lockwood. 

191 7_ June 5th. 4450 registered for the 
selective draft. 



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1918 — September 12th. Five thousand eight 
hundred and thirteen registered under 
the selective draft law. 

1919 — March 12th. Opening of Nurses' Home 
of Stamford Hospital, presented by 
C. O. Miller. 

1920 — May 30th. Laying of cornerstone for 
War Monument in St. John's Park. 

1920 — Nov. nth. Dedication of War Monu- 
ment in St. John's Park. 

1922 — July 27th. Stamford's bathing pavil- 
ion opened to the public. 



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